Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 75496 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75496 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
“Ugh. Spencer’s here,” Corbin said.
“The asshole neighbor?” Marcus went into Daddy-mode, looking around the room.
“I hate him, and I don’t even know him,” Parker added.
Corbin said, “I’m gonna go talk to him. I’ve made it my mission to annoy the shit out of him.”
I looked in the direction he was and saw a fuller-figured guy in a suit. He had neatly styled hair and his arms were crossed. He looked sexy, confident—and was watching Corbin.
When Corbin headed his way, Declan was the first to follow, then Marcus, Parker, and us poddies—which I’d totally started calling us, much to Elliott’s dismay.
“Can I help you?” Asshole Spencer said when we approached. I mean, it was probably us who looked like the assholes in this scenario—Corbin’s crew coming after him or something.
“Came to say hi. I’m just being polite. You should try it sometime,” Corbin replied, and I saw the blaze of fire in Spencer’s eyes.
“I’m not playing this game with you,” Asshole Spencer replied.
“Oh, Spencer! Have you met my son?” Cat said, approaching us, so clearly, she knew him. He smiled at her in a way he hadn’t with Corbin, but I was pretty sure the look he’d turned on our friend was part annoyance, part I-want-to-jump-your-bones. Cat introduced us, then said, “Spencer is the outreach coordinator for the LGBTQ center here. He’s also very active in his work on ending the stigma of HIV and AIDS.”
Okay, so maybe Asshole Spencer wasn’t an asshole after all.
We all grumbled a nice-to-meet-you because we wanted to have Corbin’s back but also had to acknowledge that Spencer did good work.
“Wow. That’s really impressive. I’d love to hear more,” Corbin said, turning on the charm, which seemed to annoy Spencer but made Cat beam.
“I’m sure you have other things to do,” Spencer replied.
“Nope. Not at all. Unless there’s some reason you don’t want to tell me about your work?”
Spencer gave Corbin a tight smile. “Of course not.”
“Great! Come with me. I’ll get us a drink,” Corbin said, and Spencer reluctantly followed.
Cat went to talk to someone else, and the second she was gone, Elliott asked, “What just happened?”
“I’m not sure,” Sebastian said, “but I think Corbin wants to hang out with that Spencer guy.”
“I thought Corbin hated him?” Parker questioned.
“You used to think you hated me too, beautiful, and now you’re my perfect boy.” Elliott winked.
“Um…can I be your perfect boy tonight?” I asked Marcus, who chuckled and pulled me into his arms. It was nice and comfy there.
“Always,” he replied.
The guys did some bidding on auction items, and we listened to some of the guest speakers before Corbin made his way back to us.
“Is Asshole Spencer your boyfriend prospect?” I asked him.
“What? No. Why would you ask that?” Corbin’s brows pulled together as if he was truly perplexed. Maybe I’d read the room wrong. “I just like annoying him. At first he used to get under my skin, but I’ve managed to turn the tables on him.”
“Just make sure you’re not trying to prove something to yourself,” Marcus warned. “You don’t need his approval.”
Corbin rolled his eyes. “Totally not what this is.”
Marcus nodded, as did the rest of the guys. We all hung out a little longer before leaving for the night.
“Are we still meeting up with your parents tomorrow?” I asked Marcus in the car ride home. They’d been better about spending time with him. We had dinner once a week, and they hadn’t canceled once. Seeing how much they’d hurt their son must’ve flipped a switch. They’d even decided not to open the new branch. Life was short. Money was great, but family was what mattered.
“Yep. And your family is still coming next week?”
“Yeah, I gotta figure out what to make for them.” I was excited to cook for my folks at our house. I was getting prepped for next month when I would start school.
The second we got home, Bossy Marcus took over, ordering me to strip naked, which I gladly did. He fucked me against the door in the entryway, breeding me the way we both loved before we went upstairs and got into the hot tub. I sat between his legs, my back against his chest, Marcus’s arms around me as we looked up at the stars.
“That night you got me the telescope? I knew right then my life would never be the same.” He kissed my neck.
“Tell me more, baby.”
Marcus chuckled. “I love you, Kai.”
I smiled. Those words would never get old, and Marcus was better at saying them than he realized. “I love you too, and I will always choose you.”
I turned in his arms, wrapped mine around him, and kissed him, my recovering realist when it came to love, at least when we were talking about me.